CRUCIFIED BARBARA

Four years have passed since Crucified Barbara's debut album, 'In Distortion We Trust', and here arrives their sophomore effort with the pun-fuelled title 'Til Death Do Us Party'. Hailing from Stockholm, I've previously been aware of the Swedish quartet (after all, who can forget a name like Crucified Barbara), but never bothered to check out their music until I acquired this promo. With retro pastiche rife throughout most of the album's playing time, compositions are oozing trad-metal/hard rock idioms and, to be blatantly honest, this is usually the type of music I run a mile from, preferring instead something a little more original. Fortunately, with 'Til Death Do Us Party', Crucified Barbara deliver just that, with enough original twists to warrant my listening attention. In fact, beyond just maintaining my attention, this is an album that demands multiple plays. I am hooked! Sure, the 80s rock/metal influences are laid bare, but played with such skilful conviction and rattling along at such a relentlessly up tempo pace, the Barbs' music makes for an invigorating sonic experience. At the core of each of the eleven tracks on offer is incredibly well composed music coloured with original, captivating melodies and a seriously infectious groove. This is not to mention a liberal dose of post-thrash palm-muted riffing which is at its best on songs like 'Pain & Pleasure' and the darkly menacing groove of 'Creatures' (a track that also features, what sounds to me, like an effective use of a Theremin). And 'Til Death Do Us Party' also benefits from the expert production abilities of one Mats Levén, a man famed for his vocal contributions in recent years to Therion's 'Lemuria/Sirius B' and 'Gothic Kabbalah' albums, and Candlemass bassist Leif Edling's Krux side project (and here lending his singing talents to rock ballad 'Jennyfer'). Every instrument, vocals included, cut through the mix with precise clarity and resonant vibrancy. The production is seriously flawless. And I find it difficult to fault this album as a whole - from Mia Coldheart's passionately sung vocals, her and Klara Force's exhilarative fretboard action, to the tight rhythm section of Ida Evileye's inventive basslines that accompany Nicki Wicked's powerful tub thumping. And yes, those are indeed silly monikers, but who cares with music of this quality. The lyrics are perhaps somewhat clichéd, but otherwise 'Til Death Do Us Party' is awesome in every other respect. Go buy.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

GMR Music

Album

'TIL DEATH DO US PARTY

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

40:26

RELEASE DATE:

11th Feb 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Killer On His Knees
2) Pain & Pleasure
3) Sex Action
4) Creatures
5) Jennyfer
6) Dark Side
7) Can't Handle Love
8) Blackened Bones
9) Danger Danger
10) Rats
11) Feels Like Death

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Sweden

"Sure, the 80s rock/metal influences are laid bare, but played with such skilful conviction and rattling along at such a relentlessly up tempo pace, the Barbs' music makes for an invigorating sonic experience."